When packages, boxes, or other transportable good or objects are loaded into commercial trailers, in order to achieve maximum packing efficiency, such packages, boxes, or other transportable good or objects are typically stacked to form separate “package walls” inside the trailer. If too many, or too few, package walls are constructed, this may increase shipping costs because fewer packages, boxes, or other transportable good or objects are able to be loaded onto a trailer, thereby, requiring additional shipments and logistic costs than otherwise needed with more efficiently packed trailers. Such practices may also signal poor loading habits by workers or loaders arranging the package walls within the trailer. In addition, as package walls are constructed from the rear of the trailer storage area to the front of the trailer storage area, each consecutive package wall covers or blocks the previous one, preventing dock managers from seeing it, and otherwise fixing, or facilitating, more efficient arrangements of package walls within the trailer storage area.
Accordingly, there is a need for segmenting and tracking package walls in commercial trailer loading.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.